Patchcraft | Smoothing

[suzzymackenzie]

I've been poking around the smoothing parameter, not really explained in the manual. I can hear what the various quantised values do by, for example, using the mod wheel to sweep cutoff on a held note. But I haven't been able yet to hear the different effects of selecting On, Off, Auto and Note. Can anyone enlighten me?

More interestingly, what kind of creative use does anyone put Smoothing to?

Suzzy

[marc]

Originally Posted by suzzymackenzie

I've been poking around the smoothing parameter, not really explained in the manual. I can hear what the various quantised values do by, for example, using the mod wheel to sweep cutoff on a held note. But I haven't been able yet to hear the different effects of selecting On, Off, Auto and Note. Can anyone enlighten me?

More interestingly, what kind of creative use does anyone put Smoothing to?

Suzzy

it's all explained on page 129/130 of the english manual.

marc

[synthfiend]

Sorry for the dumb question, but where can I download the manual from

[fornax]

Originally Posted by synthfiend

Sorry for the dumb question, but where can I download the manual from

I guess you can find the manuals here: http://access-music.de/downloads.php...ikeyboard#cat4

[Timo]

Smooth Mode, from the manual:

A technique called “Adaptive Control Smoothing” (ACS), used on all Viruses since the Virus A, avoids the zipper noise that rapid changes (knob movements, modulation) would otherwise cause.

• Off: Smoothing is disabled. Pros: Value jumps are immediate, with no glitches. Useful for gater-effects etc. when using a sequencer. Cons: Continuous control changes are incremental, meaning you may have to accept some zipper noise.

• On: Smoothing is enabled. Pros: Continuous control changes are smooth, so this setting is generally the better option. Cons: Sometimes too slow for intentional rapid jumps e.g. gater-effects.

• Auto: Control changes are analysed, and smoothing is switched on or off depending upon how fast these changesare. Pros: Smooth and sudden control changes can be applied to the same sound. Cons: Rapidly repeating jumps may be too fast to analyse correctly.

• Note: Smoothing is disabled, any changes are only heard at the start of each played note (not inbetween). Pros: No glitches. Cons: Smooth transitions not possible.

• Quantize 1/64 ... 1/1: Smoothing is disabled, any changes only occur at rhythmic intervals relative to the Tempo, expressed as a 4/4 bar division. See “Tempo” on page 129.

I just really wished that every other synth manufacturer (Korg, Roland, etc.) also employed the same thing! They often sound like toys in comparison.

[suzzymackenzie]

Originally Posted by marc

it's all explained on page 129/130 of the english manual.

marc

Thanks Marc - I was using the online reference assuming it was just the online version of my paper manual Anyhow, I think I've understood the effects of the parameter settings in the manual. Seems like the feature could have both a 'corrective' purpose and a 'creative' purpose, and I was curious to know whether anyone made deliberate creative use e.g. of quantised control changes.

[Timo]

Originally Posted by suzzymackenzie

Seems like the feature could have both a 'corrective' purpose and a 'creative' purpose, and I was curious to know whether anyone made deliberate creative use e.g. of quantised control changes.

Actually even without the smoothing the zipper noise on the virus isn't too aggressive.

On my MC505 though it's more obvious and is great for whacking up the resonance and adding distortion, followed by slowly sweeping the cutoff, for an effect in its own right (impossible to do in the analogue domain).

http://www.infekted.org/virus/files/...5-stepping.mp3

Brings out every nuance of the lofi digital zipper stepping.

[Soarer]

Originally Posted by marc

it's all explained on page 129/130 of the english manual.

marc

Geez, the manual explains a lot! I just had to download it as well. I wonder why it's not in the documentation folder, there's only the reference and quickstart

[Timo]

Smoothing is mostly great, but one bad thing I've always found with it is that it affects the pitch-bend wheel quite badly, even in Auto mode. Pitch bends are sluggish. Any moderate pitch-bends (imagine playing ATB - 9pm) never reach the pitch they should before the wheel is switched back to neutral. In these cases Off is the only setting that works.

[nutrinoland]

Wow..this is awesome...never knew this.....